Latino chaplain fills a cultural void in Pardee's ministry

The Rev. Alfredo Oviedo in
Pardee Hospital's chapel. The hospital recently added Oviedo, a native of
Mexico, to its chaplaincy program. Oviedo is also helping develop a new
Hispanic ministry at Grace Lutheran Church.

PHOTOS BY PATRICK SULLIVAN/TIMES-NEWS

By Beth BeasleyTimes-News Correspondent

Published: Saturday, February 25, 2012 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, February 24, 2012 at 3:55 p.m.

As a hospital patient, something as simple as a hand to hold or a listening ear can help tremendously in the recovery process.

It's even more valuable if you can relate to that person culturally, like getting a visit from a hospital chaplain who speaks your native language.

Pardee Hospital has recognized this need with the addition of Pastor Alfredo Oviedo to its chaplaincy program.

"It's been very meaningful to have him here," says Alexis Versalle, assistant chaplain at Pardee. "I've seen people respond to him with great warmth and appreciation."

In having Oviedo at Pardee, the hospital aims to embrace the full breadth of ethnic communities in Henderson County.

The percentage of ethnic minorities in the county is comparable to the percentages found in Pardee's patient base — about 8 percent, according to Oviedo.

"It has changed our ministry," says Charles Kirby, the director of chaplaincy at Pardee, which employs two full-time chaplains. "We always knew there were areas we weren't addressing."

Kirby adds that they want the chaplains to be fully available to each patient, but sometimes it isn't possible because of language or cultural factors.

"It's a new learning curve for us," Kirby says. "We wanted to have someone who had the cultural sensitivity."

A native of Mexico, Oviedo has long been active in Hendersonville on numerous boards and with the Interfaith Chaplaincy Association.

Oviedo has also worked to form Iglesia Luterana Gracia, an outreach mission of Grace Lutheran Church that has been in formation since 2005.

At Pardee, Oviedo's task of ministering to those in recovery is his principal focus, regardless of their ethnicity, he says.

"Ethnicity and language become secondary as far as caring for people — and God caring for them — to the language of faith, and caring, and loving," Oviedo says. "It's an opportunity to show empathy and support, and to listen."

Four years ago, the Interfaith Chaplaincy Association advisory board recognized a need for a Hispanic chaplain at Pardee and wanted to pursue hiring a full-time chaplain for the hospital, but cost was an issue.

The proposal was nevertheless pursued about a year later, with feelers put out for candidates and mechanisms for fundraising started, Kirby says.

Donations from churches, individuals and community members enabled the advisory board to hire Oviedo as an assistant chaplain at Pardee in the fall of 2010.

"I was quite impressed by the high quality of care here," Oviedo says.

He works about 20 hours a week on a daily basis at the hospital, where he will scan the patient lists for unusual last names before starting a shift.

"I like interacting with people from different cultures," says Oviedo, who with the other chaplains wants to continually be sensitive to patients' faiths.

"The chaplain ministry is about crossing religious boundaries," Oviedo adds. "Now we are trying to be open to integrating cultures."

Though he was approached a couple of times in the past about ministering as a hospital chaplain, he felt uncertain about his abilities at first.

"It's an art," says Oviedo, who has been through specific training for this chaplaincy. "It's a sense of calling, from the heart, and you learn by doing."

Called into ministry at 15

Since he had his first sense of calling to pastoral ministry at age 15, Oviedo has been active within communities, integrating culture and religion.

After coming to live in the U.S. in 1989, Oviedo was valedictorian in the 1992 graduating class of the Hispanic Baptist Theological Seminary in San Antonio.

He was pastor at the Hispanic Baptist Ministry of the Carolina Baptist Association in Edneyville from 1993 to 2000 and has served on international volunteer missions in Mexico, Russia, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica.

Oviedo has also been active since 2004 teaching in the religion and philosophy department at Shaw University CAPE Asheville.

He and his wife, Alejandrina, have four children and seven grandchildren.

On a typical day at Pardee, Oviedo might see as many as 120 patients.

With his gentle, soft-spoken demeanor and easy humor, it's not hard to see how a patient might feel instantly at ease with Oviedo.

A friendly, round face framed by glasses and full head of salt-and-pepper hair give him an air of comfort and approachability.

"I see my role more integral to all hospital needs — for both English- and Spanish-speaking people," Oviedo says. "We see it as a multicultural ministry, but especially to those that are Hispanic."

According to Kirby, Pardee's board of directors had a dream that the Hispanic ministry would happen.

"What we've discovered with Alfredo being here are things we hadn't dreamed of," Kirby says. "We have noticed that people have sought him out."

Specifically, members of the hospital's housekeeping staff have approached him for assistance in dealing with immigration issues, such as renewing a green card.

"It's an aspect of ministry, because there's a need," Oviedo says. "It's a simple procedure."

<p>As a hospital patient, something as simple as a hand to hold or a listening ear can help tremendously in the recovery process.</p><p>It's even more valuable if you can relate to that person culturally, like getting a visit from a hospital chaplain who speaks your native language.</p><p>Pardee Hospital has recognized this need with the addition of Pastor Alfredo Oviedo to its chaplaincy program.</p><p>"It's been very meaningful to have him here," says Alexis Versalle, assistant chaplain at Pardee. "I've seen people respond to him with great warmth and appreciation."</p><p>In having Oviedo at Pardee, the hospital aims to embrace the full breadth of ethnic communities in Henderson County. </p><p>The percentage of ethnic minorities in the county is comparable to the percentages found in Pardee's patient base — about 8 percent, according to Oviedo.</p><p>"It has changed our ministry," says Charles Kirby, the director of chaplaincy at Pardee, which employs two full-time chaplains. "We always knew there were areas we weren't addressing."</p><p>Kirby adds that they want the chaplains to be fully available to each patient, but sometimes it isn't possible because of language or cultural factors.</p><p>"It's a new learning curve for us," Kirby says. "We wanted to have someone who had the cultural sensitivity."</p><p>A native of Mexico, Oviedo has long been active in Hendersonville on numerous boards and with the Interfaith Chaplaincy Association.</p><p>Oviedo has also worked to form Iglesia Luterana Gracia, an outreach mission of Grace Lutheran Church that has been in formation since 2005. </p><p>At Pardee, Oviedo's task of ministering to those in recovery is his principal focus, regardless of their ethnicity, he says.</p><p>"Ethnicity and language become secondary as far as caring for people — and God caring for them — to the language of faith, and caring, and loving," Oviedo says. "It's an opportunity to show empathy and support, and to listen." </p><p>Four years ago, the Interfaith Chaplaincy Association advisory board recognized a need for a Hispanic chaplain at Pardee and wanted to pursue hiring a full-time chaplain for the hospital, but cost was an issue.</p><p>The proposal was nevertheless pursued about a year later, with feelers put out for candidates and mechanisms for fundraising started, Kirby says. </p><p>Donations from churches, individuals and community members enabled the advisory board to hire Oviedo as an assistant chaplain at Pardee in the fall of 2010.</p><p>"I was quite impressed by the high quality of care here," Oviedo says.</p><p>He works about 20 hours a week on a daily basis at the hospital, where he will scan the patient lists for unusual last names before starting a shift.</p><p>"I like interacting with people from different cultures," says Oviedo, who with the other chaplains wants to continually be sensitive to patients' faiths.</p><p>"The chaplain ministry is about crossing religious boundaries," Oviedo adds. "Now we are trying to be open to integrating cultures."</p><p>Though he was approached a couple of times in the past about ministering as a hospital chaplain, he felt uncertain about his abilities at first.</p><p>"It's an art," says Oviedo, who has been through specific training for this chaplaincy. "It's a sense of calling, from the heart, and you learn by doing."</p><p>Called into ministry at 15</p><p>Since he had his first sense of calling to pastoral ministry at age 15, Oviedo has been active within communities, integrating culture and religion.</p><p>After coming to live in the U.S. in 1989, Oviedo was valedictorian in the 1992 graduating class of the Hispanic Baptist Theological Seminary in San Antonio. </p><p>He was pastor at the Hispanic Baptist Ministry of the Carolina Baptist Association in Edneyville from 1993 to 2000 and has served on international volunteer missions in Mexico, Russia, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica.</p><p>Oviedo has also been active since 2004 teaching in the religion and philosophy department at Shaw University CAPE Asheville.</p><p>He and his wife, Alejandrina, have four children and seven grandchildren.</p><p>On a typical day at Pardee, Oviedo might see as many as 120 patients. </p><p>With his gentle, soft-spoken demeanor and easy humor, it's not hard to see how a patient might feel instantly at ease with Oviedo. </p><p>A friendly, round face framed by glasses and full head of salt-and-pepper hair give him an air of comfort and approachability.</p><p>"I see my role more integral to all hospital needs — for both English- and Spanish-speaking people," Oviedo says. "We see it as a multicultural ministry, but especially to those that are Hispanic."</p><p>According to Kirby, Pardee's board of directors had a dream that the Hispanic ministry would happen.</p><p>"What we've discovered with Alfredo being here are things we hadn't dreamed of," Kirby says. "We have noticed that people have sought him out."</p><p>Specifically, members of the hospital's housekeeping staff have approached him for assistance in dealing with immigration issues, such as renewing a green card. </p><p>"It's an aspect of ministry, because there's a need," Oviedo says. "It's a simple procedure."</p>